16th-19th January

Time will tell but checks of most of the island have shown that many of the last years late highlights appeared to have moved on. Just the 1 Tundra Bean Goose has been found so far (at Lochend on 19th), with just a single Pink-footed Goose (18th-19th), the 7 Banacle Geese and the Greenland White-fronted Goose remaining. The Green-winged Teal was on Gretchen Loch again (18th) and what looks like the same Glaucous Gull was near Kirbest (19th). While numbers of wintering Redwing and Fieldfares seem to be lower than usual there are plenty more Blackbirds and Robins than in recent years. The Chaffinch was joined by a Linnet at the Observatory and there are likely 100 each of Snow Bunting and Twite spread about the Isle, but the passerine highlight by far was a presumed wintering Black Redstart at Senness (19th).